What we will cover in this article:

• Summary of Ethernet standards
• Summary copper cabling types.
• Summary fiber optic cabling types.

What's an Ethernet standard

Ethernet standards ensure that network cabling will meet the bandwidth requirements of applications.

The standards specify the bit rate that should be achieved over different media types up to the supported distance limitations. These Ethernet media specifications are named using a three-part convention, which is often referred to as xBASE-y

The signal mode (baseband or broadband). All mainstream types of Ethernet use baseband transmissions, so you will only see specifications of the form xBASE-y.

For example, 10BASE-T denotes an early implementation that works at 10 Mbps (10), uses a baseband signal (BASE), and runs over twisted pair copper cabling (-T)


CAT CABLE STANDARDS

The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and the Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA)/Electronic Industries Alliance (EIA) have created categories of cable standards for twisted pairs to simplify the selection of a suitable quality cable.

Cat 5 cable is no longer available. Cat 5e is tested at frequencies up to 100 MHz (like Cat 5 was) but to higher overall specifications for attenuation and crosstalk, meaning that the cable is rated to handle Gigabit Ethernet throughput. Cat 5e would still be an acceptable choice for providing network links for workstations.

Cat 8 is intended for use in data centers only for short patch cable runs that make top-of-rack connections between adjacent appliances. ISO defines two variants; 8.1 (Class I) is equivalent to TIA/EIA Cat 8 and uses RJ-45 connectors while 8.2 (Class II) must use outer shielding or screening and GG-45 or TERA connectors.

Copper Cable

Copper cable is used to transmit electrical signals. The cable between two nodes creates a low-voltage electrical circuit between the interfaces on the nodes. There are two main types of copper cable: twisted pair and coaxial (coax)

Twisted pair is a type of copper cable that has been extensively used for telephone systems and data networks.

There are two types of twisted pairs which are:

• Shield Twisted pair(STP)

Shielded cable is less susceptible to interference and crosstalk. This type of cable is required for some Ethernet standards and may also be a requirement in environments with high levels of interference.

• Unshielded Twisted pair(UTP)

Most twisted pair cable used in office networks is unshielded twisted pair (UTP). Modern buildings are often flood-wired using UTP cabling. This involves cables being laid to every location in the building that may need to support a telephone or computer.

TWISTED PAIR CONNECTOR TYPES

Twisted pair copper cabling uses Registered Jack (RJ) connectors for the physical interface. There are many different types of RJ connector

RJ-45 connectors are used with 4-pair (8-wire) cables. The connectors are also referred to as 8P8C, standing for 8-position/8-contact.

RJ-11 Connectors
The smaller RJ-11 connectors are used with 2- or 3-pair UTP.

COPPER TERMINATION STANDARDS

The ANSI/TIA/EIA 568 standard defines two methods for terminating Ethernet connectors: T568A and T568B.

Fiber Optic Cable

Fiber optic cable carries very high-frequency radiation in the infrared light part of the electromagnetic spectrum. The light signals are also not susceptible to interference or noise from other sources and are less affected by attenuation. Fiber optic cabling is divided into Single Mode (SMF) and MultiMode (MMF)

• Single Mode Fiber (SMF) has a small core (8 to 10 microns) and a long wavelength, near-infrared (1310 nm or 1550 nm) light signal, generated by a laser. Single-mode cables support data rates up to 100 Gbps and cable runs of many kilometers, depending on the quality of the cable and optics. There are two grades of SMF cable; OS1 is designed for indoor use, while OS2 is for outdoor deployment.

• Multimode Fiber (MMF) has a larger core (62.5 or 50 microns) and shorter wavelength light (850 nm or 1300 nm) transmitted in multiple waves of varying lengths. MMF uses less expensive optics and consequently is less expensive to deploy than SMF. However, it does not support such high signaling speeds or long distances as single mode and so is more suitable for LANs than WANs.

Resources

• CompTIA Learning network plus

Credits

Massive credit goes to compTia Learning Center for the high-quality image, information, and inspiration to make this article.